Off the beaten path of Yellowstone National Park lies a mysterious stone formation that most don’t know about. But thanks to the thorough and compassionate guidance of park rangers, a group of 30 Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) mentors, mentees and parents are now among the lucky few.

The stones were not the focus of the Aug. 4 trip — a 2.3 mile hike of the Storm Point Trail led by rangers and organized by Park County Coordinator for BBBS Jennifer Just and park ranger Kyle Vetter.

The purpose of the trip was to get kids outdoors, an experience not all of them get and to connect with their mentors Just said.

The hike was an opportunity for “Bigs” to connect with their “Littles” and other kids as well. Some “Bigs” came without their “Littles” who couldn’t make it while others are still waiting for their match.

“I think it gave them a fun experience to be excited about with their ‘Little’ and the fun things they get to do,” Just said.

Kendal Eden,  a “Big” who came without her “Little”  partnered with  a 6-year-old who was already familiar with her. The most valuable part of the Yellowstone experience for this young child was seeing that she could actually complete the hike, “I think that made her proud of herself,” Eden said.

Eden’s favorite part of the trip was interacting with the younger kids — the purpose of BBBS is to provide a positive influence in the lives of children outside of their parents, she said.

“I feel like everybody has this stigma around it like it’s this cheesy little club to hang out around little kids, but it’s really not,” Eden said. “They get so happy when they see you and it’s really sweet.”

Just said planning for the event began months ago while she was talking to Vetter about becoming a mentor, also known as a “Big.” Vetter proposed the idea and it slowly began to take shape — he handled the coordination on the park side while Just handled the other logistics.

Just praised the work of Vetter and the others at the park who found the best trail that would be safe and manageable for all participants. Staff also made desserts and prepared educational materials.

They even had a shelter planned in case of rain which they had to use during their lunch break, of course. 

“Throughout the hike we got a wealth of info,” Just said. An example is when the group found the remains of a bison. The rangers quizzed the curious kids on whether it was more likely that a bear or a wolf feasted on the unlucky bovine. Most likely it was a bear, they explained to the group, because a wolf would have probably scattered the remains. 

The rangers also taught the group about animal identification with pelts, horns and bear claws they had brought along with them. Just said that Joe Jewett, a Sunlight trail guide who walked between groups of hikers and checked for animals was impressed with the information provided during the trip.

“The rangers stood out with how accommodating they were and how organized they were,” Just said. “Our trip went extremely smoothly even with the rain issues, so they stood out in making the experience
so positive.”

She added that she was impressed with the “Littles” excitement and how well they did despite a long day that began at 7:30 a.m. and ended at 5:15 p.m. For two kids in particular who were 5 and 6 years old it was their “first hike ever.”

“They did amazing, they were so cute and excited,” Just said. 

Nine-year-old Rayden Banks also saw the park for the first time as he went with his stepdad James Bennett. It was their first time in the park since they moved to the area from Oregon three years ago. Banks had been wanting to go to Yellowstone since he first began learning about it at Westside Elementary School, he said. His parents had been looking for a good time to take him when the trip came along, Bennett noted.

Banks enjoyed seeing the animals, including a yellow bellied marmot, but his favorite part was the sand around Yellowstone Lake. 

“The ranger had him feel the top and then dig down, literally 3  inches, if that, and then it was 40 degrees warmer,” Bennett said.

Outside of the “hot sands,” Rayden enjoyed making friends and seeing the wildlife.

He wants to go again and he hopes to see “bears, live buffalo [and] more hot sands.”

To sum up his experience Rayden only had a one word answer, “awesome!”

At the end of the day when everybody unloaded from the buses the feedback was very positive, Just said. 

“It’s something I hope to be able to do again,” she said. “I feel a lot of times people don’t get the opportunity to go enjoy Yellowstone even though we live so close to it.”